Electrical connection apparatus



June27,1939. I ADO GLAS 2,164,201

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION APPARATUS Filed May 51, 1935 110.225 A\Daa9!.aa I

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Patented June 27, 1939 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION APPARATUS Harry A. Douglas, Bronson, Mich assignor to Kingston Products Corporation, a corporation of Indiana Application May 31, 1935, Serial No. 24,255

9 Claims.

My invention relates to electrical connection apparatus, such as switches, sockets, and the like,

and more particularly. to electrical connection means which may be combined with and embodied in various forms of electrical connection apparatus. In the present embodiment of my invention the electrical connection means comprises a terminal post adapted for the reception of a plug conductor terminal of the snap type, and by embodiment of such an electrical connection means in electrical connection apparatus of various forms, the apparatus is adapted for use with plug conductor terminals of the. snap type. The principal object of my invention is to provide new and improved electrical connection apparatus and means of the foregoing types. In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application, I have shown for purposes of illustration, one form which my invention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an electrical switch embodying my invention, the switch being fragmentarily shown,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of one of the terminal posts of the switch shown in Figure l, the

switch base and the casing being shown fragmentarily,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a terminal post taken along the line 3-3 of Figure l, the base being fragmentarily shown and the casing with the switch omitted,

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 3, and

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing the switch here shown includes an insulating base closing the top of a casing l2, the casing I2 being provided with fingers l3, the tips I4 of which are clinched over the top of the insulating base The casing I2 is provided with a bracket l5, fragmentarily shown, whereby the casing I2 may be suitably mounted. Within the switch casing I2 is disposed a movable switch member (not shown) operable by means of a reciprocable actuator l6 fragmentarily shown. The movable switch member is cooperable with contact studs, one of which I! is shown in side elevation in Figure 3. Each contact stud, in this instance, is provided with a contact head l8 andhas a shank I9 disposed through the insulating base II. The contact head I8 may be seated in a recess 2|) in the inside face of the base H, and

may project somewhat from the inside face of the base The end 2| of the shank may be spread laterally, as by riveting, swedging, or spinning, either over the upper surface of the insulating base or over a conductor which it is 5 desired to electrically connect to the contact stud H.

In this instance certain of the contact studs are electrically. connected to and hold in position on the base II a plurality of terminal posts, 22 l through 28, the number of posts depending on the nature of the switch and the desired circuit connections.

The terminal posts, 22 through 33, in the present embodiment are all identical, and a descrip- 515 tion of the construction of one of them will serve for all.

Referring more particularly to the terminal post 22 shown in Figures 2 through 5, this post comprises a tubular body portion 29 of generally ,2

oblong rectangular cross-section, having narrower opposite walls 33, 3|, and wider oppcsite walls 33, 34 at right angles to the narrower walls 33, 3|. The wider wall 33 is made in halves,

one half 35 being integral with the narrower wall r2 and the other half 36 being integral with the narrower wall 3|. The wall halves 35, 33 have their adjacent edges in abutment along a longitudinal line. or plane of abutment 65. The other wider wall 34 is also made in halves, one half Q30 31 being integral with the narrower wall 33 and the other half 38 being integral with the narrower Wall 3|. The wall halves 3T, 38 have their adjacent edges in abutment along a longitudinal line or plane of abutment 63. The narrower r The narrower wall 30. has its lower end exv tended and bent outwardly at right angles from that wall to form a foot 43. The wall halves 35, 31, formed integrally with the narrow wall 33, also have their lower ends extended and bent outwardly at right angles from the wall halves 35 31 to form oppositely extending feet 34, 35. The lower end of the other narrower wall 3! is extended and bent outwardly at right angles thereto to form a lateral extension 43 which, in

this instance, is widerthan the narrower wall 3|. The under surface of the lateral extension 46 is in a plane common with the bottoms of the feet 43, 44, 45. In this instance the lateral extension 46 is integral with a further extension, serving as a base plate 41, underlying the lateral extension 46 and the feet 43, 44, 45. The base plate 41 is integrally joined to the lateral extension 46 at a fold 48. The base plate 41 is thus an integral part of the terminal post 22 as a whole. The base plate 41 is desirably long enough so as to provide a portion 49 at its free end which may be folded around the end of the foot 43 extending from the narrower wall 30, and over and against the top of that foot. The folded overlying portion 49, being wider than the foot 43, may have its lateral marginal portions 50, pressed down against the upper surface of the base plate 41 of the terminal post, so as to form a pocket in which the foot 43 is tightly held not only against vertical movement but also against lateral movement.

The distance between the ends of the feet 44, 45 is desirably the same or less than the width of the base plate 41.

Detent means 52 is provided for cooperation with the aperture 40 formed by the loop 39, and with a plug conductor terminal insertable in the aperture 40. In this instance the detent means 52 is generally of U-shape having a plane bight 53 from which extend legs 54, 55. The detent means 52 also includes a protuberance 56 of generally semi-cylindrical form, desirably struck up from the bight 53 of the U, the axis of the semicylindrical protuberance 56 being disposed at right angles to the axis of the aperture 40 formed by the loop 39. The detent means 52 is slidable within the body portion 29 of the terminal post, upward movement of the detent means 52 being limited by engagement of opposite margins of the bight 53 of the detent means 52 with shoulders 51, 58 formed by inward extensions on the narrower walls 30, 3| at approximately the tops of these walls, where these walls join the ends of the loop 39.

The detent means 52 is biased toward the aperture 4|] formed by the loop 39 by means of a helical spring 59, one end of which engages the underside of the bight 53 of the detent means 52 and the other end of which engages the base plate 41 of the terminal post.

The lateral extension 46 of the terminal post is provided with an aperture 60, through which may be passed the shank of a rivet or the shank I9 of a switch contact stud H. The base plate 41 of the terminal post is provided with an aperture 6| concentric with the aperture 60 in the lateral extension 46. The aperture 6| in the base plate 41 is desirably somewhat larger than that in the lateral extension, so that when, as in the present embodiment, the base plate is made by folding a long lateral extension of a wall of the body of the terminal post, allowance will be made for any lack of registry between the centers of the apertures 60, 6| in the lateral extension 46 and in the base plate 41.

The terminal post 22 is desirably provided with means for preventing turning of the post about the shank |9 of the switch contact stud H. In this instance the base plate 41 has struck downwardly therefrom, from the margin of the aperture 6|, a projection 62 extending at right angles to the base plate and adapted to fit in a slot or recess 63 extending radially from an aperture 64 in the base The shank l9 of the contact stud is adapted to pass through the base aperture 64,

through the apertures 6|, 60, and have its end 2| overlie the lateral extension 46, to hold the terminal post to the base II.

It will be evident that by mounting the terminal posts 22 through 28 (where a plurality of posts are used) at an appropriate angle with respect to each other, the longitudinal axis of the apertures 40 formed by the loops 39 of the terminal posts may be so directed that plug conductor terminals may be readily inserted in these apertures without interfering with each other in inserting and removing them.

The plug conductor terminals are of the usual snap type comprising a generally cylindrical portion 13 and an annular furrow 12 in the cylindrical portion, the terminal being provided with a frusto-conical end 61. The plug terminal is desirably swedged to the conductor disposed therein, as indicated by the swedge indentations 68. When the plug terminal is inserted in the loop aperture 40, the frustro-conical end 61 serves to cam the detent means 52 downwardly against the bias of the spring 59, further inserting movement causing the protuberance 56 of the detent means to snap into the annular furrow 12 in the plug terminal.

It will be evident that a terminal post such as 22 may have its body 29, the loop 39, the lateral extension 46, the feet 43, 44, 45, and the plate 41 made from a single integral sheet metal stamping, bent to the form hereinbefore described. The detent means 52 may also be formed from sheet metal.

Considerable push or pull is required to insert into or remove from a terminal post a plug conductor terminal of the snap type, as hereinbefore described. It will be apparent that the construction of the terminal post is designed to resist bending stresses, caused by such a push or pull, or otherwise tending to bend the body portion of the terminal post with respect to the compound supporting extension.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiment of my invention provides new and improved electrical connection means and apparatus, readily and conveniently constructed and assembled, and accordingly, accomplishes at least the principal object of my invention. On the other hand, it also will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiment of my invention may be variously changed and modified, or features thereof, singly or collectively, embodied in other combinations than those illustrated, without departing from the spirit of my invention, or sacrificing all of the advantages thereof, and that accordingly, the disclosure herein is illustrative only, and my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. Conductor terminal receiving means, comprising: a body portion made of a single piece of sheet metal, said body portion having walls forming a tubular formation, and certain of said walls providing an aperture, one of the walls of said body portion being formed with a projection, and another of said walls being formed with an extension, said extension being folded upon itself, and the folded portion thereof being extended and engageable with said projection; and detent means cooperable with said aperture and with a conductor terminal receivable in said aperture.

2. Conductor terminal receiving means, com prising: a body, formed of a single piece of sheetmetal, and having a tubular portion formed with 15 an integral loop at one end, and integral laterally extending parts adjacent the other end; one of said laterally extending parts being folded upon itself, and the extremity of the folded part being constructed and arranged to interlock with the other of said laterally extending parts.

3. Conductor terminal receiving means, comprising: a body, formed of a single piece of sheetmetal, and having a tubular portion, formed with an integral loop at one end for receiving a conductor terminal; biasing means disposed within said tubular portion, and constructed and arranged to yieldably engage a conductor terminal disposed in said loop; said body having integral laterally extending parts adjacent the other end, one of said parts being folded upon itself to provide a reversely extending portion spanning said other end of said tubular portion, and holding said biasing means in operative relation within said tubular portion, and the extremity of said reversely extending portion being constructed and arranged to interlock with the other of said parts.

4. Conductor terminal receiving means, comprising: a body, formed of a single piece of sheetmetal, and having a tubular portion, formed with an integral loop at one end, and integral laterally extending parts adjacent the other end; one of said parts being folded upon itself to provide a reversely extending portion spanning the other end of said tubular portion, the extremity of said reversely extending portion being constructed and arranged to interlock with the other of said parts; and feet, integrally formed with said tubular portion, and bearing on said reversely extending portion.

5. Conductor terminal receiving means, comprising: a body, formed of a single piece of sheetmetal bent to provide a tubular portion and a loop portion at one end of said tubular portion, and bent also to provide a laterally extending part folded upon itself to span the other end of said tubular portion, the extremity of said laterally extending part being connected to said body.

6. Conductor terminal receiving means, comprising: a sheet-metal body, of polygonal crosssection, opposite Walls adjacent the upper end of said body being extended and joined to form a loop for receiving a conductor terminal, one of said opposite walls at the lower end of said body being laterally extended away from said body and being folded upon itself to underlie andv close off the lower end of said body, the extremity of said extension being secured to the other of said opposite walls.

'7. Conductor terminal receiving means, comprising: a sheet-metal body, having an aperture for receiving a conductor terminal, one wall portion of said body adjacent one end being laterally extended away from said body, and the opposite wall portion at said one end being laterally extended away from said body, this lateral extension being widened and folded upon itself to underlie said one end, and having its extremity crimped over the defining marginal surfaces of the lateral extension of said one Wall portion.

8. Conductor terminal receiving means, comprising: a sheet-metal body of polygonal crosssection, certain of the walls adjacent the upper end of said body being apertured for receiving a conductor terminal, opposite walls at the lower end of said body being laterally extended away from said body, one of these lateral extensions being Wider than the wall it is extended from, and folded upon itself to underlie and close off the lower end of said body, the extremity of the widened lateral extension being crimped over the defining marginal surfaces of the other lateral extension, and other opposite walls at the lower end of said body having laterally extending feet resting on the underlying part of said widened lateral extension.

9. Conductor terminal receiving means, comprising: a sheet-metal body of polygonal crosssection, opposite Walls adjacent the upper end of said body being extended and joined to form a loop for receiving a conductor terminal, said opposite Walls at the lower end of said body being laterally extended away from said body, one of these lateral extensions being wider than the wall it is extended from, and folded upon itself to underlie and close oiT the lower end of said body, the extremity of the widened lateral extension being crimped over the defining marginal surfaces of the other lateral extension, and other opposite Walls at the lower end of said body having laterally extending feet resting on the underlying part of said widened lateral extension; and biasing means, disposed within said body, having one end bearing on the overlying part of said wider lateral extension, and its other end in position to yieldably engage a conductor terminal disposed in said loop.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

